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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. spell — magic
  8. present — the time now
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. wake — a trail
  15. spell — letters
  16. pop — to visit
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pop — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com